How To Install PERFECT KITCHEN CABINETS (DIY GUIDE)

Good job!

Fantastic video. What a help. Thank you.

You're lucky to have that mid-century parquet. Back in the day this was a fairly economical floor covering. Prices now will set you back, if you can find it. For a 'five finger' oak parquet floor like yours I would have to spend $10k on my 1058 sq. ft. mid-century ranch. No joke.

Nice job you guys! I've been cabinetmaking since my junior year in HS (1979) and what you did here is what I've been doing for installs the whole time (after learning from the professionals/cabinet shop owners and foremen).
I have often used my straight-edge, a 8' long, 6061, aluminuim 2"x3" angle, 1/4" thick across the top front edges of the base cab's to be sure the counters would end up absolutely even (usually 1" to 1 1/4" from the face), but eyeballing that works also.
The extra mile thinking is the use of 'sex screws' to pull the faces flush with each other when they meet up. The sex screws are used so as to not split a face frame with the pressure of the threads of a wood screw. I have seen the splits over the years when weight was added from pots and pans, dishes etc. as they can quickly add up to hundreds of pounds per cabinet, especially glass dishes in upper cabinets.

The ones I have found to work best use a 3/16" hole drilled through both frames and the two parts are threaded together (I add blue Locktite too) while clamped and the cab's don't budge. Three on base cab's, four on uppers. Then shorter ones parallel to the top edge of the base cab's, about 2-3" down to be sure the cab boxes work together to support the countertops.
Seems like more than is needed, but I can't tell you how many times I was removing cab's to be replaced, to see where the old cab's were about to fail, or did fail because of underestimating the stresses. I feel better after an install which has been over-done, not one where installers are asking themselves "what if?".
The last thing I do is water-proof the top edge of at least the sink cab, but all of them if I can convice the owners. I use Christy's Red Hot Blue PVC cement and it is the only thing I have gone back to see it still working as planned long after the install. It was '04 when I began to use it and went to replace a sink last year where the on-counter sink sealant had failed but the top edge of the cab was fine though water had been migrating to that area behind the faucet for years.

New game
Snap a line every time he says “snap a chalk line”

😂
❄️ 👃 🫨

GRK # 12. Usually grk #8 fin/trim head screws for connection face frames. Occasionally I need something with some grab to really pull face frames tight so I’ll use a regular head either counter sink or hide with hinge.

Great work, great explanations.

Awesome job and details on the cabinets guys!

Straight flat and normal will make everyone happy 😅. Good job with the cabs!

Wow! you know exactly what to do...Thanks

Good stuff, new subscriber, thanks.

Fill the voids under the cabinets with construction adhesive they will never move and they will be well supported.

"You don't need a laser, but get one."

bought that bessy tool it made the job so much easier. Thanks!!

I am going to tackle this project with my sister. Thanks so much for the tips and details in this video. Love it.

You put the bottom cabins in first. For won't bump your head on the top cabins. That's why I like putting the bottom ones in first.

Wrap painters tape around that screw and bit to keep the screw from falling off so much

What is a good price per cabinet on multifamily jobs ? Do you have any idea ?

Looks like a kitchen

Damn, I love this channel! I just stumbled upon it about a week ago and have been watching these videos every night before bed. Very entertaining, and informative. Thank you for your efforts in sharing your passion!

Tools to start?

What about the wall cabinets, do you have installation video for that?

The Bessey face frame clamp is great as long as the face frame is not flush with the cabinet end panel.

Enjoy watching you and Jordan. Don’t you ever get pissed about anything?😅

Well done. Thank you for sharing

One day the us will move into the 21 century and use metric

The white screws look terrible in the face frames. Use trim head screws

Small advice about the last screw you had hard time…

Use blue tape to stick it to the drill bit… so it won’t move

Once you screwed it.. move the drill and you done :)

I learn a lot from you :)
Good job!!!!!

Great help for me. Thanks

To understand why the smallest number is the highest point, we should understand the methodology behind this. Firstly, the laser has a line that is flat on a plane going all around at a constant level from a given spot, with this understood, when taking a measurement from a lower spot (relative to where the laser was placed) all the way up to the laser point you will read a larger number because the length is longer to go from the low point up to the laser level hence the higher number is the lowest point, and as you can imagine from the smaller number you would measure less distance from the bottom to the laser measurement because the base is at a higher elevation meaning less distance or less length as a measurement taken.

Love your videos. I just saved a ton of time painting a 2500 SF ranch using your tip on how to hold the brush when cutting in the ceiling and around trim. Took a little practice but now it is second nature. Now I'm getting ready to tackle the kitchen. I hadn't considered RTA cabinets until I saw your video. Even the manufacturer liked your tip on using a pneumatic staple gun and mentions this in their instruction video.  

But I'm still not convinced that the lower cabinets should be installed first. I like to gang the uppers together upside down on the ground when possible to get the tops lined up. Like you, I sight down the faces and install shims at the back to keep them from twisting. I also make two 2x4 deadman supports about 1/2 longer than my low spot to hold the cabinets in place. A gentle kick will raise the cabinet to the line. In my youth I could easily raise three cabinets by myself.

Warning. These tools will leave dimples on your cabinets!!!!! Crazy these guys don’t mention that. Have to be paid for this item, which it is what it is. You have to use a shim/some harder material on the part that aligns the face of the cabinets together, not the part that squeezes the cabinets together.

You were warned.

Fantastic video.. I love that it's informative, practictal but also funny :) Would be really cool to include METRIC measurements as well though (I'm sure I'm not the only European fan you have :)

THANKS 4 the good guide!

Is it ever necessary to consider the potential unevenness of the floor across the DEPTH of the bottom cabinets? For example, what if you get the highest point established along the wall but, when you set your bottom cabinet down to begin, the front face of the bottom cabinet is higher than the back face? In such a case, wouldn't your counters would run downhill from front toward backsplash? Am I overthinking this?
Wouldn't it be better to snap a line on the floor at 21' off the wall and then measure up to the laser mark every 18" along the wall and ALSO every 18" along the chalk line on the floor?
Am I overthinking this?

I had to hit the pause button to figure it out. But I got it.

The job you did looks very professional, congratulations!

Wow! I'm a college professor with a PhD...and it took me a minute or so to figure out why the smaller number was the high spot! Thanks so much for this video. I've got the confidence now to set my base cabinets. I owe you guys one!

always good videos

Glad I saw this BEFORE I install my cabinets!!

I like to leave my laser line turned on, with the laser set up either on an extendable pole, or on a metal corner somewhere. You can then draw a line on a shim or some spare piece of wood and check the corners of every cabinet to see if your pencil line is matching up with the laser line. You can move around with that piece of wood and check the height at any top surface of your cabinets. It speeds up the process and gives more consistent results than reading a standard level from cabinet to cabinet.

This was really well explained , you guys are awasome 🎉 thanks

Maybe you cover this. But if cabinets wrap around a wall. Do you put the corner cabinet in first? Because it would suck to start one said and then somehow have no room to fit in the corner

Fabuloso Trabajo
Míster

Question with a total new kitchen do you lay flooring underneath the cabinets (luxury vinyl flooring) ????
Thx

Your explanations and the progression of those explanations are always easy to follow and on point. Appreciated.